Efficacy of Stem Cell Therapy for Burn Wounds: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Preclinical Studies

The systematic review and meta-analysis by Li et al. from July 29, 2020, evaluated the efficacy of stem cell therapy in treating burn wounds through preclinical studies. The analysis included 22 studies with 595 animals and found that stem cell therapy significantly improved the healing rate of burn wounds, with hair follicle stem cells being particularly effective for second-degree burns. The therapy promoted healing mainly through angiogenesis and anti-inflammatory actions. The study concluded that stem cells could be a promising treatment for burn wounds but highlighted the need for more clinical studies to optimize treatment effectiveness. The analysis also noted that the degree of the burn and the type of stem cell used were important factors in the healing outcomes, with second-degree burns responding better to treatment than third-degree burns, and hair follicle stem cells showing better results than other types. However, stem cell therapy did not significantly affect collagen formation. The authors acknowledged limitations such as study heterogeneity and potential publication bias.